Spurring One Another On
Several years ago, a group of young men at UH began meeting regularly for a men’s Bible study. Week after week, they gathered in our building or somewhere on campus to read Scripture, pray, and share life together. This past fall, some of those same men felt led to pursue deeper accountability and spiritual growth.
At our January leadership retreat, our male staff met with these student leaders and asked what they hoped to see in ministry to men. From those conversations, accountability groups were formed for any men who wanted to participate. Now, each week, these small groups meet to pray for one another, encourage one another, and engage in evangelism together.
It has been a gift from the Lord to watch these followers of Jesus step up and intentionally invest in their relationships with God and with one another, seeking to “spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” After just one semester, we are already seeing the fruit of their faithfulness and intentionality in the spiritual growth and maturity of our young men.
Watching Expectantly
“UH BSM, this is Shannon.”
“Hello, is there a priest there that I could meet with?”
“No, but I am a minister, and I’d be happy to meet with you.”
That was how I first met a wonderful Iranian student I’ll call M.
M came to my office, and we spent a couple of hours getting to know each other and hearing her story. Week after week, she returned. She was not a believer, but she was open to conversations about faith. She described herself as someone who had once been atheist but now considered herself agnostic. During our conversations, I would share stories from Scripture that related to her circumstances, and we would close our time together in prayer.
Toward the end of the semester, life became especially difficult for M. The demands of her academic program intensified, while concerns for her family grew as tensions escalated in Iran.
Around that same time, another ministry in Houston, Global Gates, was hosting a group of gap-year interns. They hoped to connect with Iranian students during their four days in Houston in order to build friendships, learn more about Iranian culture, and create opportunities to share their faith. Kevin reached out to ask if I knew any Iranian students who might be interested.
M was one of the first people I texted. A few days before the event, she met with Kevin to hear more about the plans for the week. In the end, M not only attended herself but also connected five other Iranian students to the group.
The evenings were filled with conversation, shared testimonies, cultural exchange, dancing, games, and genuine friendship. At the end of the week, M texted, “I had an amazing time with my new friends, and I miss them already.”
I continue to watch with great expectation as the Lord works in M’s life. It has been a privilege to walk alongside her patiently, trusting God to continue drawing her to Himself.
Old Into New
Rose came to college with a Christian background, but during her freshman year, she began drifting from her faith. Through Instagram and campus platforms, she started seeing information about the BSM. She wanted to check it out, but she was hesitant. What if the group was strange or overly intense? She noticed that the BSM regularly hosted coffee outreach on campus and thought that might be a low-pressure way to connect.
One morning, while walking through the student center, Rose saw students giving away free coffee. She grabbed a cup and walked away, but after a few steps, she realized this was the very group she had been wanting to meet. She turned around, went back to the table, and met Moriah and Ashley.
Ashley, who leads the Freshman Bible Study, invited Rose to come check it out, and she decided to give it a try. After meeting the group, Rose told the leaders, “Wow, y’all are cool Christians.” That moment became the beginning of Rose diving fully into community and discipleship.
Rose soon started attending free lunch gatherings, where one of our staff members, Hannah, who also co-leads the Freshman Bible Study, had the opportunity to hear more of her story. During one of those conversations, Rose shared that she had previously accepted Christ but wanted to be baptized again because her first baptism had been forced on her. This time, she wanted it to be her own decision and expression of faith.
At our final worship gathering of the semester, we were able to celebrate that step with her baptism. Rose invited several of her non-Christian friends to attend. When asked to share her confession of faith, she said, “I am ready to take the Lord with me through all walks of life and turn the old into new.”
Shannon Lambert is the Student Minister for BSM at the University of Houston. Follow the ministry on Instagram @uhbsm.
